Berlin, Germany (CNN) -- Four men were convicted in Germany on Thursday in connection with a foiled terrorist plot against Western targets, court officials said. The men had begun mixing a huge amount of explosive material that could have resulted in a strong blast, bigger than attacks in 2005 on London's public transport network and the 2004 Madrid railway bombings, authorities said. Three of the men -- two Germans and a Turk -- were arrested in September 2007. The other was arrested later. The Germans -- Fritz Gelowicz and Daniel Schneider -- were sentenced to 12 years in prison. Turkish citizen Adem Yilmaz received 11 years. Attila Selek, a German citizen of Turkish descent, received five years.


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Attila Selek received a shorter sentence because he was convicted only of supporting the organization.


(CNN) -- Three British men on holiday in the United Arab Emirates were beaten and subjected to electric shocks by police following their arrest on drug charges last July, a prisoners' rights group claims. British citizens Grant Cameron, Karl Williams and Suneet Jeerh, all ages 25, have been in detention in Dubai for more than seven months. They were arrested on charges of possession of the synthetic cannabis, "spice," according to Reprieve, a UK-based organization that provides legal support to prisoners. Dubai police denied any torture took place. The suspects were expected to be in a Dubai court Thursday morning for a first hearing in the case, said Marc Calcutt, a lawyer with Reprieve.

Williams and Cameron came to Dubai to visit
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Suneet Jeerh who had moved there from the UK six weeks earlier, according to Calcutt.


By Helen Pow PUBLISHED: 01:36 EST, 11 December 2013 | UPDATED: 02:14 EST, 11 December 2013 A judge has let off a 16-year-old boy who killed four people while driving drunk after the teen's lawyers claimed his rich parents spoiled him and never taught him about consequences. Ethan Couch of Keller, Texas, had faced 20 years behind bars but walked away with 10 years of probation Tuesday, something that angered his victims' families. 'Money always seems to keep (Couch) out of trouble,' Eric Boyles, whose wife and daughter were killed in the June 15 crash, told the Star Telegram after sentencing. 'Ultimately today, I felt that money did prevail. If (he) had been any other youth, I feel like the circumstances would have been different.'

However, the widow of one of the victims looked at the defendant in the courtroom and said, '
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Couch, we forgive you,' which caused Couch to swallowed hard and tear up a bit.